Departmental Pensions

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department are members of the  (a) Classic,  (b) Classic Plus,  (c) Nuvos and  (d) Premium civil service pension schemes.

Paul Murphy: Information on pension details is provided by the Ministry of Justice payroll services. The split between classic plus and premium cannot be distinguished in all cases.
	Pensions within my Department are split as follows:
	
		
			  Pension scheme  Percentage of staff  Number of employees i n pension s cheme 
			 Classic 63 35 
			 Classic plus and Premium 11 6 
			 Premium 16 9 
			 NUVOS 10 6

Blue Badge Scheme

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether an impact assessment has been conducted for those proposals in the Blue Badge Reform Strategy relating to local authorities' ability to charge Badge application fees; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Blue Badge Reform Strategy contains an impact assessment for all of our proposals.
	The application fee has been capped at £2 since 1983 and no longer reflects modern costs and income. We estimate that the average application processing cost is now £14.47 per badge.
	We plan to legislate to enable local authorities to set their own fees, which cover these costs more appropriately. The legislation will protect against any excessive charging.
	Any future charges will be far outweighed by the financial benefits that badge holders receive in being able to park for free across the UK.

Parking Offences: Personal Records

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what procedures are in place to ensure that personal details made available to parking enforcement companies may not be accessed by terrorist organisations.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Parking companies may obtain data from the DVLA vehicle record where they have reasonable cause. Legislation providing for reasonable cause disclosure has been in existence for over 40 years, predating the establishment of the DVLA. On application for disclosure, all relevant information must be provided to enable checks to be made to establish the veracity of the applicant and the reasonable cause claimed. If approved, the vehicle keeper's name and address are released together with the make, model and colour of the vehicle. A record is kept on the vehicle register of all such disclosures enabling the applicant to be identified if there are later inquiries.
	The details disclosed are sent directly to the address associated with the company requesting those details—and never disclosed over the phone or to PO box addresses—and there is a programme of audit to ensure that the application, use and disposal of the data is appropriate and legal.

Trams

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when stage two of the tram-trains trials will commence.

Paul Clark: holding answer 23 October 2008
	The trial will occur in two phases. The first phase will test the application on the conventional rail network (Penistone Line) and will start in 2010. It will take two years to test the technical and operational feasibility of tram trains.
	There is an option for a second phase to test how the tram train operates between the conventional rail network and a street tram system. This is the subject of more detailed business case work by Network Rail.

Trams

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the decision on the operation of tram-trains in England to be made.

Paul Clark: holding answer 23 October 2008
	On 18 March, the then Secretary of State announced the trial of tram train technology on the Huddersfield-Penistone-Sheffield route (Penistone line). On 29 September, Northern Rail issued an invitation to tender (ITT) for the procurement of trial vehicles for use on the Penistone line. Network Rail is currently undertaking detailed design work for the amendment to the infrastructure.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contingency plans his Department has in the event that cases of bovine tuberculosis spread across the UK.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 23 October 2008
	 We aim to slow down and prevent the geographic spread of bovine TB to low incidence areas through a comprehensive and risk based control programme. This includes a surveillance programme of routine testing for all cattle herds and compulsory pre-movement testing of cattle from high risk herds.
	In the event of the disease spreading to new areas across the country we implement measures to try to root out the disease and prevent it becoming established. In all cases where TB is identified, the herd is placed under movement restrictions until all the eligible cattle in it have cleared two further short interval tests. In addition, in the low incidence areas of the country we use the more sensitive gamma interferon blood test alongside the skin test to identify as many infected cattle as possible at the earliest opportunity and try to clear out infection in the herd quickly.

Departmental Buildings

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans his Department has for the future use of the office building at 1A Page Street; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Following the re-organisation of departmental accommodation in 2007-08, the office premises at 1A Page street became surplus to operational requirements in March 2008. The Department has been actively seeking to dispose of its property interest both across Government and via exposure to the commercial property market. Current market conditions are challenging and we continue to explore every avenue to secure a disposal of this surplus accommodation.

Departmental Security

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many security passes have been reported  (a) lost and  (b) stolen by staff in (i) his Department and (ii) agencies sponsored by his Department in each year since 2001.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The following table shows lost and stolen passes from core DEFRA and its agencies from 2001 until 1 October 2008.
	
		
			   Lost  Stolen 
			  DEFRA Core Department   
			 2001 60 5 
			 2002 108 16 
			 2003 108 12 
			 2004 152 18 
			 2005 147 11 
			 2006 138 13 
			 2007 149 13 
			 2008 106 7 
			
			  Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science   
			 2001 n/a n/a 
			 2002 10 0 
			 2003 16 1 
			 2004 20 1 
			 2005 20 2 
			 2006 7 0 
			 2007 8 0 
			 2008 6 0 
			
			  Central Science Laboratory   
			 2001 12 0 
			 2002 14 0 
			 2003 11 0 
			 2004 15 0 
			 2005 8 2 
			 2006 5 1 
			 2007 7 0 
			 2008 7 0 
			
			  Veterinary Medicines Directorate   
			 2001 6 0 
			 2002 9 0 
			 2003 10 0 
			 2004 6 0 
			 2005 10 0 
			 2006 12 0 
			 2007 9 0 
			 2008 6 0 
			
			  Veterinary Laboratories Agency   
			 2001 5 0 
			 2002 8 1 
			 2003 6 0 
			 2004 7 0 
			 2005 28 4 
			 2006 11 0 
			 2007 n/a n/a 
			 2008 29 0 
			
			  Rural Payments Agency   
			 2001 5 0 
			 2002 23 1 
			 2003 24 2 
			 2004 19 2 
			 2005 9 0 
			 2006 40 4 
			 2007 53 8 
			 2008 74 5 
		
	
	Losses and thefts relating to passes issued to the Marine Fisheries Agency, the Government Decontamination Service and Pesticides Safety Directorate are included in the figures for DEFRA core department. Data for lost/stolen passes for Veterinary Laboratories Agency is not available for 2007 due to a change in responsibility of pass production. Figures do not include Animal Health as information is not available. All electronic passes reported as lost or stolen are cancelled immediately on access control systems making them invalid. Losses of paper escorted and unescorted visitor passes (which are not able to activate access control points) are rare and are not recorded.

Dogs

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the policy of the Forestry Commission is on dog-free car parks; and which car parks are being considered for designation as dog-free.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 23 October 2008
	In association with the Kennel Club the Forestry Commission published its guide, Managing Dogs in the Wood, in March 2007. This advocates the promotion of car parks that are attractive and well suited to dog walkers in order to reduce the potential for conflict with other interests. The Forestry Commission has no plans to designate car parks as dog-free but access to some other areas by dogs is actively discouraged, for example in children's play areas.

Environment Protection: New Forest

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1487W, on environment protection: New Forest, if he will place in the Library copies of the publications referred to.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 23 October 2008
	The New Forest National Park Authority has been asked to provide copies of the publications referred to, these will be placed in the Library as soon as they have been received.

Fisheries: Navy

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what dates there have been no River Class offshore patrol vessels operating as part of the Fishery Protection Squadron since April; why there were no River Class offshore patrol vessels operating on each such date; what alternative provision was made available; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The information is as follows:
	21 July: HMS Severn suffered two breakdowns of their sea-boats in a 24-hour period on 20 July which resulted in the vessel having to anchor and await repairs/replacements by Vosper Thorneycroft. HMS Tyne was at stand-off on 20/21 July, between patrols. No alternative provision was required.
	30 and 31 August: HMS Mersey was programmed to be on patrol on those days with a stand-off on 2 and 3 September. However, the stand-off dates for HMS Mersey were brought forward to 30 and 31 August so that it could participate fully in the Joint Deployment Plan for Cod in the North Sea, which commenced on 1 September. HMS Tyne was at stand-off on 30/31 August between patrols. No alternative provision was required.
	On each of these occasions, the 3(rd) River Class vessel was not programmed for duty, was not available and was not required.

Fisheries: Quotas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to introduce quota management reforms; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Examining how best to reform the quota management system is a priority for me, and I am currently considering options to take this work forward. This work will be done in close partnership with the Devolved Administrations and in consultation with the industry. It will also need to be considered in the context of the Common Fisheries Policy reform agenda.

Flood Control: Cost Effectiveness

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what outcome measures are used to assess the effectiveness of expenditure on flood risk management measures; what criteria relating to outcomes for  (a) the economy,  (b) commerce and  (c) industry are included in these measures; and what his policy is on the inclusion of flood security as an outcome measure.

Jane Kennedy: A set of nine outcome measures for flood and coastal erosion risk was published, following public consultation, in June 2007. The measures are described on the DEFRA website and the first measure, overall benefits, will include monetary estimates of the benefits to the national economy, with the expectation that in time the costs and benefits for different sectors will be identified separately. The term flood security is ambiguous, but a review of the outcome measures is under way and this will include consideration of alternative and additional measures.

Food

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to increase national self-sufficiency in food production.

Jane Kennedy: The UK is currently 60 per cent. self-sufficient in all foods, and over 74 per cent. self-sufficient in foods that can be produced in this country.
	In July, the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit published a study entitled "Food Matters: Towards a Strategy for the 21st Century", which identified a number of areas of food policy requiring further examination by the Government. DEFRA is taking forward the report's recommendation on the need for a sustainable vision to guide future food policy in conjunction with the Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency.
	The Government are also consulting on its discussion document, "Ensuring the UK's Food Security in a Changing World", to ensure that all of our food supply chains, from whatever source, are resilient and robust in the face of challenges to our food security in the future.

Food: Imports

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government is taking to ensure that imported food meets the  (a) quality,  (b) hygiene,  (c) safety and  (d) animal welfare standards required from food producers in England.

Jane Kennedy: Imports of products of animal origin from countries outside the EU must be checked at approved border inspection posts (BIPs), where they undergo veterinary checks before they are allowed to enter the EU.
	Such products can only be imported from countries which are on the approved third country import list for that product. The products must be from establishments approved to export to the EU.
	The European Commission's Food and Veterinary Office are responsible for carrying out inspections of countries and the establishments that are approved to export to the EU, to ensure that they comply with EU hygiene requirements.
	The World Trade Organisation rules do not allow us to ban imports on the grounds of the welfare standards applying in third countries.

Fruit: Schools

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the EU proposals for free fruit provision in schools; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 14 October 2008
	On 8 July 2008 the European Commission published a proposal providing for the introduction of a voluntary EU-wide school fruit scheme for the supply into schools of fruit (including bananas) and vegetables. The proposals are principally for the provision of €90 million of European funds for the purchase of the fruit and vegetables themselves, allocated to member states on the basis of their population of school children aged between six and 10 years. A member state which chose to take part in the scheme would be required to provide co-finance and to submit a national strategy. EC funding cannot be used to replace existing national funding.
	The proposals for the scheme are currently being finalised in Brussels, with the intention that an agreement should be reached by the end of this year. As the proposals develop, they are being assessed and considered by officials and Ministers across Government and also with the devolved administrations and external stakeholders.

Madders Report

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he plans to take in response to the Madders Report on animal movements.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 17 October 2008
	 The following Madders recommendations have been implemented:
	abolition of temporary calf passport
	the issue of cattle passports to late applicants, where parentage of the calf can be proved by DNA testing
	revised guidance issued to ensure that cattle arriving at an abattoir with a valid passport with one correct ear tag (and evidence that a second tag had been applied) are accepted as properly identified.
	British Cattle Movement Service have written to ear tag manufacturers seeking assurance that standards have been maintained.
	Bill Madders (and Iain Anderson in the review and lessons learned exercise following the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in 2007) recommended changes to the way in which DEFRA records the locations to and from which livestock are moved. Work is currently under way to establish the most effective means of doing this. I expect a consultation exercise to follow the conclusion of this work.
	Madders also recommended greater use of isolation facilities to allow farmers more flexibility to avoid standstills imposed by movements of livestock onto their holdings. I have accepted this recommendation and expect to consult on implementing it in due course.

Rights of Way

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what functions the National Rights of Way Casework Team had at its establishment; what additional functions it has been given since its establishment; and how many people have been assigned to the team in respect of these additional functions.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 23 October 2008
	The functions undertaken by the National Rights of Way Casework Team from its establishment, and still to date, are direction requests (representations) and Schedule 14 Appeals, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and Orders which the Secretary of State for may decide to make under Section 247 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 for stopping up or diversion of rights of way in relation to proposed planning development.
	There are no additional people assigned to the functions of the Rights of Way team, although one person who is engaged part time in this work is also engaged in other national transport casework which is now undertaken by Government office for the north east.

Water: Low Incomes

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government has taken to assist low income families with the costs of sewage and water pipe repairs.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 21 October 2008
	There is no specific assistance available to low income families towards the costs of sewage or water pipe repairs. All water companies do however offer some degree of free or subsidised repair and replacement for domestic customers' water supply pipes. This is undertaken as a leakage control measure as part of the water companies' statutory duty to promote the efficient use of water by their customers. The exact nature of the repair policy and any restrictions to that policy are dependent on the water company and its operating conditions.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which districts of Helmand Province are deemed to be  (a) under UK, ISAF and NATO forces or the Afghan government control,  (b) under Taliban control and  (c) in indeterminate control; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: holding answer 21 October 2008
	International Security Assistance Force, the Afghan National Security Forces and the Government of Afghanistan have established a security presence in the districts of Lashkar Gar, Nahr-e Saraj (Gereshk), Musa Qal'ah, Sangin, Garmsir, Kajaki, Nawah-ye Barakzai and Nad Ali. Operations against the Taliban in Helmand continue, with the purpose of bringing more of the province under the control of the Afghan Government.
	However, the insurgents continue to pose a threat through improvised explosive devices, suicide bombers and opportunistic attacks.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of casualties of  (a) insurgents and  (b) civilians in Helmand Province in Afghanistan in 2007-08.

John Hutton: We do not routinely collate data on the number of insurgents killed by UK forces in Afghanistan. Collecting and verifying data is extremely difficult given the nature of the conflict. As we have said repeatedly, our long term strategy towards defeating the insurgency in Afghanistan is through a wide range of military and non-military activity and not through an attritional, purely military campaign.
	We regret incidents where civilians are accidentally killed as a result of actions by international forces. Procedures are in place, and being constantly updated in the light of experience, both to minimise the risk of these casualties occurring and to investigate any incidents that do happen. Wherever possible, local populations are warned of impending operations. We should remember the insurgents are the real threat to the safety and security of the Afghan people by their indiscriminate use of violence. ISAF forces are not present on a permanent basis in many parts of Helmand province, which makes it difficult to monitor atrocities against the civilian population by the Taliban. It is therefore impossible to estimate with any confidence the number of civilian casualties in Helmand province in 2007-08 that have been caused by the current conflict.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received of recent comments by President Zardari about the position of the Taliban in the conflict in Afghanistan; what assessment he has made of those comments; and whether he has responded to them.

John Hutton: Since the welcome return of a democratically elected government in Pakistan, the Government have maintained close contact with President Zardari, his cabinet and senior officers in the Pakistan military. International co-operation is central to our efforts in the region and I welcome the Government of Pakistan's commitment to countering terrorism as a top priority. While I cannot discuss specific comments that President Zardari has made recently, we continually emphasise the important role that a stable and democratic Pakistan has to play in delivering success in Afghanistan and that both our and Pakistan's interests are placed in jeopardy by Taliban operating from within its borders.

Armed Forces: Conditions of Employment

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent steps the Government has taken to uphold the military covenant.

Kevan Jones: The Government are fully committed to meeting their responsibilities for serving personnel, veterans and their families. This includes a longstanding programme of improvements covering for example, service pay, accommodation, health and welfare provision, force protection and personal equipment. This was reinforced in July 2008 when we published the Service Personnel Command Paper; the paper sets out our commitment to a package of over 40 measures in the fields of education and skills, childcare provision, benefits, career building, support for our Foreign and Commonwealth Service personnel and a doubling of the lump sum payments for the most serious injuries under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme. It also outlines further improvements we have made recently in health, housing and support for bereaved families. This is the first cross-Government strategy for service personnel and it sets the standard for the level and scope of support they, their families and veterans can expect.
	We recognise that there is a wider national responsibility for supporting our armed forces and the independent Report of Inquiry into National Recognition of our Armed Forces published in May sets out a number of recommendations to encourage both wider public support for the armed forces and recognition of their contribution to the nation; the Government have made clear their broad support for the recommendations of this report and will publish their detailed response shortly.
	Service chiefs have confirmed that the Military Covenant is not broken.

Armed Forces: Manpower

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many pinchpoint trades there were in each service in each year since 2003.

Bob Ainsworth: The inclusion of a trade on the Pinch Point register is subjective. There are a variety of factors, not of all which reflect a manning shortfall that will determine the inclusion of a trade. Single-Services review their list quarterly. Recent improvements in the analysis of problem trades has narrowed the focus on trades to specific rank ranges or has subdivided a trade in order to better focus resources at the problem. This has led in part to the gradual rise in the number of pinch points for example Merlin Aircrew has now been subdivided into Merlin pilots, Observers and Aircrewman. By narrowing the focus into rank areas such as Infantry Pte-LCpl resources are better focussed and the impact more apparent.
	
		
			   RN  Army  RAF 
			 2003-04 10 26 19 
			 2004-05 12 25 23 
			 2005-06 12 24 21 
			 2006-07 11 27 14 
			 2007-08 20 30 25

Armed Forces: Pensions

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was paid  (a) by (i) employees and (ii) employers into and  (b) to those receiving pensions payments from the Armed Forces Pension Scheme in each of the last five years.

Kevan Jones: The Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) is a non-contributory scheme. When pensions become payable the cost is met from Government revenues at that time. There is no pension fund or deficit. Income from employers' contributions is used to offset the costs of paying benefits to pensioners each financial year. Minimal income is received from Armed Forces personnel who opt to make additional voluntary contributions (AVCs) or to purchase added years.
	The amounts contributed and paid under the AFPS for financial years 2002-03 to 2006-07 are set out in the following table:
	
		
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Employer contributions  (£ billion) 1.146 1.224 1.246 1.404 1.420 
			 Employee contributions from AVCs/purchase of added years  (£ million) 1.328 1.612 1.669 0.657 0.594 
			 Pensions in payment  (£ billion) 2.440 2.517 2.664 2.846 3.009 
			  Note:  The AFPS Resource Accounts for financial year 2007-08 have yet to be finalised and published.

Armed Forces: Pensions

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the annual change in the cost to the public purse of the 2006 changes to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what methods he has considered for reducing public sector pension liabilities in relation to the armed forces pension scheme;
	(3)  what the projected savings are of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2005 changes in relation to public sector pensions for members of the armed forces.

Kevan Jones: For the armed forces pension scheme 1975, the 2006 change constituted the introduction from 6 April 2006 of a preserved pension age of 65 for future service. The preserved pension age for service before that date is 60.
	The armed forces pension scheme 2005, which was introduced for new entrants on 6 April 2005, was designed with a preserved pension age of 65. In addition further savings were realised by the overall scheme design. For example, removing the immediate pension for those leaving before the age of 55 and replacing it with early departure payment (EDP) scheme benefits for those who serve until at least age 40 and have at least 18 years service. EDP income, which is paid until the preserved pension comes into payment at age 65, is paid at a significant lower level that would have been the case if the pension had become due on leaving the armed forces.
	The adoption of age 65 as the preserved pension age was a specific measure aimed at tackling the increased costs of longevity, and savings from this will essentially be longer-term.
	A proportion of the overall saving was recycled into improved death-in-service and dependants' benefits. Savings in employer contributions for the armed forces pension schemes is estimated at around £50 million in 2008-09, which will grow in subsequent years due to the increasing proportion of membership covered by the new scheme. In the longer-term, annual savings are estimated at around £125 million a year.

Armed Forces: Young People

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel aged under 18 years died  (a) while on active service and  (b) in training in each of the last five years; and what the cause of death was in each case.

Bob Ainsworth: There have been no deaths of UK service personnel under-18 years of age while on active service in the last five years, where active service is defined as military duty in an operational area.
	In the last five years two UK service personnel aged under 18-years have died on training, both deaths occurred in 2007. One resulted from drowning, the other was the result of a helicopter crash.

Armed Forces: Young People

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many under 18 year olds are serving in the armed forces.

Bob Ainsworth: The number of under 18-year-olds serving in the armed forces can be found in Tri Service Publication (TSP) 8—Age Distribution of UK Regular Forces. Table 1 shows the number of UK regular forces by age and sex as at 1 April 2008.
	www/dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/index.php? page=48&pubType=1&thiscontent=80&Publish Time=09:30:00 &date=2008-05-29&disText=1%20April%202008&from= listing &topDate=2008-05-29
	TSP 8 is published on an annual basis.
	Copies of TSP 8 are available in the Library of the House and are also available at
	www.dasa.mod.uk.

Armed Forces: Young People

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many under 18 year olds have applied for discretionary discharge under the unhappy minors provisions in the last three years; and how many of these applications were granted.

Bob Ainsworth: Following the introduction of the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) System for all three services, the total number of under-18s who have left the armed forces can be provided but this figure cannot be broken down by the reasons for leaving.
	There are no known circumstances in which a formal application for discretionary discharge under the 'Under 18 Discharge as of Right' scheme has been rejected. The commanding officer has discretion to delay a decision on discharge (for example, if at sea) if he has doubts about the permanence of the individual's unhappiness; however, it is exceedingly rare for such an 'unhappy' individual to be refused immediate permission to leave.
	The number of under-18 personnel who have left the armed forces in the last three completed financial years are:
	
		
			   FY 2005-06  FY 2006-07  FY 2007-08 
			 Naval Service 245 (1)220 (1)255 
			 Army 1,440 (1)1,675 (1)1,765 
			 RAF 35 (1)10 (1)65 
			 (1) Figures are provisional and subject to review.  Notes: 1. Due to ongoing validation of data from JPA, all Naval Service flow statistics from period ending 31 October 2006, Army flow statistics from period ending 31 March 2007, and flow statistics from period ending 30 April 2007 are provisional and subject to review. 2. As a consequence of JPA, Army outflow data by age are unavailable for period ending 31 March 2007. Consequently Army data shown for FY 2006-07 are for the 12 months from 1 March 2006 to 28 February 2007.

Defence: Finance

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of gross domestic product was spent on defence  (a) including the cost of military operations and  (b) excluding the cost of operations in each year since 1997; and what forecast he has made of the proportions to be so spent in each year to 2011.

John Hutton: Using audited outturn figures drawn from Ministry of Defence annual reports and accounts, historic figures are set out in table 1 as follows.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			   Percentage GDP including cost of operations  Percentage GDP excluding cost of operations 
			 1997-98 2.6 2.6 
			 1998-99 2.8 2.8 
			 1999-2000 2.7 2.7 
			 2000-01 2.6 2.6 
			 2001-02 2.5 2.5 
			 2002-03 2.5 2.4 
			 2003-04 2.5 2.4 
			 2004-05 2.8 2.7 
			 2005-06 2.7 2.5 
			 2006-07 2.6 2.4 
			 2007-08 (estimated) 2.6 2.4 
			  Note: Figures to 2003-04 are calculated on a cash/near cash basis; from 2004-05 onwards they are calculated using total DEL. 
		
	
	Figures for expenditure on Defence (defined according to the UN's Classification of Function of Government Function (COFOG) category) are published in HM Treasury's Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses, as set out at table 2. These figures include the additional costs of military operations but do not separately identify these costs.
	
		
			  Table 2 
			   Percentage of GDP (outturn) 
			 1997-98 2.6 
			 1998-99 2.8 
			 1999-2000 2.7 
			 2000-01 2.6 
			 2001-02 2.5 
			 2002-03 2.5 
			 2003-04 2.5 
			 2004-05 2.5 
			 2005-06 2.5 
			 2006-07 2.4 
			 2007-08 (estimated) 2.4 
		
	
	Our latest forecast for the additional cost of operations will be set out in the Winter Supplementary Estimates. We do not publish forecasts for the additional cost of operations in future years or by proportion of GDP.

Departmental Pensions

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department and its agencies are members of the  (a) Classic,  (b) Classic Plus,  (c) Nuvos and  (d) Premium civil service pension schemes.

Kevan Jones: It is important to bear in mind that the Ministry of Defence employs staff in a wide variety of occupations and professions. Some, such as our teachers and lecturers belong to the teachers pension scheme while our medical and nursing staff belong to the NHS pension scheme. These, of course, are in a minority. The vast majority of MOD civil servants are eligible to belong to the civil service pension scheme—although some choose not to join a pension scheme or opt for a partnership pension account. Consequently, the number of staff belonging to the four specified pension schemes falls short of the Department's total civil service strength which, as at 1 September, stood at 79,510 (full and part-time). Using the latest data, the figures, which include Trading Funds and agencies, are as follows:
	
		
			   Number  Percentage 
			 Classic 49,626 62.41 
			 Classic Plus 2,382 3.00 
			 Nuvos 3,470 4.36 
			 Premium 19,325 24.31 
			 Total 74,803 94.08

Departmental Pensions

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civil servants working in his Department and its agencies have pensions with a cash equivalent transfer value of over £1 million.

Kevan Jones: It is not appropriate to disclose pension information for civil servants other than board members whose details are shown in the Remuneration Report in annual Resource Accounts. A copy of the Ministry of Defence's Resource Accounts for financial year 2007-08 and those for the Department's Agencies and Trading Funds are available in the Library of the House.

Hercules Aircraft: Safety

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the concluding comments of Wiltshire Coroner Daniel Masters into the loss of Hercules XL179; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: I am grateful for the very thorough and professional manner in which David Masters, HM Coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon conducted the inquest into the loss of the 10 personnel tragically killed when Hercules XV179 crashed in Iraq in 2005. He brought a number of lessons to our attention and it is clear that there have been failures in our procedures for which I apologise. We will address all the issues raised during the inquest, where we have not already done so.

Horn of Africa: Piracy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the command relationships will be between Combined Task Force-150, Combined Joint Task Force—Horn of Africa and the new EU-led anti-piracy mission off the Horn of Africa;
	(2)  how many British ships will participate in the EU-led anti-piracy mission off the Horn of Africa, broken down by type of ship; and for how long the mission will last;
	(3)  what the cost will be for the British contribution to the EU-led anti-piracy mission off the Horn of Africa; and whether the ATHENA mechanism will be used to determine costs;
	(4)  what the legal basis is for the EU-led anti-piracy mission off the Horn of Africa.

Bob Ainsworth: We have supported EU planning for a counter-piracy naval operation off the coast of Somalia. A formal legal decision from the EU member states to act, but not yet to launch the operation, is expected in the next 10 days.
	This will be based on a UK offer to provide the Operation Commander and Operation HQ. No decisions have been taken on the command structure relating to the Forward Headquarters, although we have made it clear that any European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) operation needs to ensure maximum co-ordination with Combined Task Force 150, Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa and NATO.
	The legal basis for the EU-led mission will be a Joint Action adopted under Articles 14, 25 and 28 of the Treaty of European Union, to support resolutions 1814/2008, 1816/2008 and 1838/2008 of the UN Security Council Resolutions.
	Force generation for the operation will not begin until EU Ministers have agreed to act. We intend to offer a Royal Navy frigate for part of the ESDP operation, but the timing and detail will be subject to ESDP force generation requirements and UK operational priorities. EU planning envisages an operation lasting one year from the declaration of Initial Operating Capability by the Operation Commander.
	The cost of this mission to the United Kingdom comprises two elements. The first is the common costs, which are determined by the Athena mechanism. The common costs will include the cost to set up the Operation Headquarters and the Force Headquarters. The second element is national costs associated with any ship deployment. Until further planning has been completed it will not be possible to determine the cost of the British contribution to any potential ESDP operation to tackle piracy.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether representatives of the British Army and representatives of the Mahdi Army entered into any agreement or accommodation in respect of military engagement in Iraq during 2007.

John Hutton: UK forces are operating in Iraq as part of a multi-national coalition at the request of the Iraqi Government. The Coalition and the Iraqi Government have routinely followed a policy of dialogue with insurgent groups, where it is judged they can be persuaded to renounce violence and participate in the legitimate political process. The offer of engagement is open to groups across the political spectrum and it has been an essential element of the counter-insurgency strategy to bring peace and security to Iraq.
	In 2007, with the full knowledge and support both of our Coalition partners and the Iraqi Government, UK forces conducted a dialogue with a range of militia leaders in Basra—including Jaish al-Mahdi—in accordance with the Iraq-wide reconciliation strategy. Neither these discussions, nor their outcome, prevented UK forces from providing military support to the Iraqi Security Forces.

Military Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of  (a) C-17 Globemaster,  (b) C-130K Hercules,  (c) C-130J Hercules,  (d) Tristar,  (e) VC-10 and  (f) Nimrod aircraft are (i) in service, (ii) in the forward fleet and (iii) fit for purpose.

Quentin Davies: The information requested for C-17, C-130 Hercules, Tristar, VC10 and Nimrod aircraft that are in service, in the Forward Fleet (FF) and considered fit for purpose (FFP) is provided in the following table. 'In service' has been taken to mean the Effective Fleet which covers all aircraft barring those which are redundant, declared as surplus or awaiting disposal. Aircraft in the FF are those that are available to the Front Line Command for operational and training purposes including those that are classed as short term unserviceable aircraft undergoing scheduled depth maintenance, or planned routine fleet maintenance are not included. Aircraft defined as FFP are those considered capable of carrying out their planned missions on a given date. The FF and FFP figures shown are the latest available, provided as an average for September 2008, and have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
	
		
			   Total Fleet  In service  Percentage of Total Fleet that is in service  Number  in FF  Percent age  of  in service aircraft in FF  Number of aircraft FFP  Percentage of  FF aircraft which are FFP 
			 C-17 Globemaster 6 6 100 6 100 5 83 
			 C-130K Hercules 19 18 74 12 63 10 83 
			 C-130J Hercules 24 24 100 19 79 14 74 
			 Tristar 9 9 100 7 78 4 57 
			 VC-10 16 15 94 13 87 8 62 
			 Nimrod MR2 15 14 93 8 57 5 63 
			 Nimrod R1 3 3 100 1 33 1 100

Military Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of  (a) Nimrod,  (b) Harrier,  (c) Tornado GR4,  (d) Tornado F3 and  (e) Typhoon aircraft are (i) in service, (ii) in the forward fleet and (iii) fit for purpose.

Quentin Davies: The information requested for Nimrod, Harrier, Tornado GR4, Tornado F3 and Typhoon aircraft that are in service, in the Forward Fleet (FF) and considered Fit For Purpose (FFP) is provided in the following table. 'In Service' has been taken to mean the effective fleet which covers all aircraft barring those which are redundant, declared as surplus or awaiting disposal. FF aircraft are those that are available to the front line command for operational and training purposes including those that are classed as 'short term unserviceable'; aircraft undergoing scheduled depth maintenance, or planned routine fleet maintenance are not included. Aircraft defined as FFP are those considered capable of carrying out their planned missions on a given date. The figures shown are a snapshot for the 30 September, except where stated, and have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
	
		
			  Aircraft  Fleet number  In service  Percentage of total fleet in service  Number in FF  Percent of total in FF  Number of aircraft FFP  Percentage of  FF aircraft which are FFP 
			 Nimrod MR2(1) 15 14 93 8 57 5 63 
			 Nimrod R1(1) 3 3 100 1 33 1 100 
			 Harrier 75 75 100 47 63 36 77 
			 Tornado GR4 138 138 100 95 69 57 60 
			 Tornado F3 71 71 100 47 66 32 68 
			 Typhoon 49 49 100 34 69 29 85 
			 (1) Figures are average for September 2008.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of  (a) Chinook,  (b) Merlin and  (c) Sea King helicopters are (i) in service, (ii) fit for purpose and (iii) out of service.

Quentin Davies: The percentages of the  (a) Chinook,  (b) Merlin and  (c) Sea King helicopters considered (i) in service, (ii) fit for purpose and (iii) out of service are detailed in the following table. 'In service' has been taken to mean the Effective Fleet which covers all aircraft barring those which are redundant, declared as surplus or awaiting disposal. Fit for purpose aircraft are those in the Forward Fleet considered capable of carrying out their planned missions on a given date. Aircraft in the Forward Fleet are those that are available to the Front Line Command for operational and training purposes, including those that are classed as 'short term unserviceable': aircraft undergoing scheduled depth maintenance, or planned routine fleet maintenance are excluded. 'Out of service' has been taken to mean the Non-Effective Fleet, which covers those aircraft that are redundant, declared as surplus or awaiting disposal.
	The following figures are for averages for the month of August 2008.
	
		
			  August 2008 
			   In service aircraft as a percentage of Total Fleet  Fit for purpose aircraft as a percentage of Forward Fleet  Out of service aircraft as a percentage of Total Fleet 
			 Chinook 2/2a(1) 100 72 0 
			 Merlin Mk1(1) 100 44 0 
			 Merlin Mk3/3a(1) 100 59 0 
			 Sea King Mk5 100 55 0 
			 Sea King Mk7 100 44 0 
			 Sea King Mk4/6C(1) 100 59 0 
			 Sea King Mk3/3a 100 47 0 
			 (1) Deployed on operations. 
		
	
	The number of helicopters fit for purpose will vary from day to day due, primarily, to routine maintenance requirements. Operational capability is measured in terms of flying hours rather than the number of airframes available. All rotary wing operational requirements are currently being met.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of helicopters in the  (a) Army Air Corps,  (b) Fleet Air Arm and  (c) Royal Air Forces are (i) in service, (ii) in the forward fleet and (iii) fit for purpose, broken down by helicopter type.

Quentin Davies: The numbers and types of helicopters used by the Army Air Corps, Fleet Air Arm and Royal Air Force which are In Service, in the Forward Fleet and considered Fit for Purpose are detailed in the following table. "In Service" has been taken to mean the Effective Fleet which covers all aircraft barring those which are redundant, declared as surplus or awaiting disposal. Aircraft in the "Forward Fleet" are those that are available to the Front Line Command for operational and training purposes, including those that are classed as "short term unserviceable": aircraft undergoing scheduled depth maintenance, or planned routine fleet maintenance are excluded. Fit for Purpose aircraft are those in the Forward fleet considered capable of carrying out their planned missions on a given date.
	The following figures represent averages taken for August 2008.
	
		
			   Total fleet  In service  Percentage of total fleet that is in service  Number in forward fleet  Percentage of in service aircraft that is in the forward fleet  Number  f it for  p urpose  Percentage of forward fleet fit aircraft that is for purpose 
			  Royal Navy
			 Lynx Mk3/8 71 63 89 43 68 28 65 
			 Sea King Mk5 15 15 100 11 73 6 55 
			 Sea King Mk7 13 13 100 10 77 4 40 
			 Sea King Mk4/6C(1) 42 42 100 29 69 17 59 
			 Merlin Mkl(1) 42 42 100 22 52 10 45 
			  Army Air Corps
			 A109 4 4 100 4 100 3 75 
			 Apache(1) 67 67 100 50 75 20 40 
			 Gazelle 98 56 57 46 82 37 80 
			 Lynx Mk7/9(1) 109 96 88 61 64 36 59 
			  Royal Air Force
			 Merlin Mk3/3a(1) 28 28 100 17 61 10 59 
			 Puma(1) 43 32 74 24 75 16 67 
			 Chinook 2/2a(1) 40 40 100 29 73 21 72 
			 Sea King Mk3/3a 25 25 100 17 68 8 47 
			 (1 )Deployed on operations. 
		
	
	The number of helicopters fit for purpose will vary from day to day due, primarily, to routine maintenance requirements. Operational capability is measured in terms of flying hours rather than the number of airframes available. All rotary wing operational requirements are currently being met.

Nuclear Weapons

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether US personnel will be asked to participate in his Department's work on the Warhead Pre-Concept Working Group;
	(2)  whether the Warhead Pre-Concept Working Group has considered options for  (a) agent defeat and  (b) other warhead modifications, as part of its work;
	(3)  whether work emerging from the  (a) theoretical enhanced radiation and  (b) residual enhanced radiation weapon warhead concept have been examined as part of the work of the Warhead Pre-Concept Working Group; and whether personnel at AWE Aldermaston have been briefed on these or other advanced nuclear weapons concepts by their US counterparts in the last three years.

John Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave him on 28 November 2007,  Official Report, column 453W from which he will be aware that research is currently being undertaken in support of the detailed review described in paragraph 7-4 of the December 2006 White Paper: The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent (Cmd 6994). This review, which was previously overseen by the Warhead Pre-Concept Working Group (WPCWG) is now being coordinated by the Atomic Weapons Establishment within their systems engineering management structure under the direction of the Ministry of Defence. It is examining both the optimum life of the UK's existing nuclear warhead stockpile and the range of replacement options that might be available to inform decisions on whether and how we may need to refurbish or replace the existing warhead likely to be necessary in the next Parliament. Some of the work included in this review is being undertaken in co-operation with the US and with the assistance of US personnel under the 1958 UK-US Agreement for Co-operation on the Uses of Atomic Energy for Mutual Defence Purposes.
	I am withholding further details of this ongoing review and related discussions held with the US under the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement in the interests of national security.

Russia: NATO

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has had discussions with its NATO counterparts on possible military cooperation with the Russian Federation in Afghanistan.

John Hutton: At a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council at Defence Ministerial level on 13 June, Russia's support to the Alliance's mission in Afghanistan was widely welcomed, although Russia made it clear this support stopped short of direct military intervention. The support includes transit arrangements through Russian territory in support of the International Security Assistance Force, and a NATO-Russia Council project on counter-narcotics training for Afghan and Central Asian personnel. In the wake of the crisis in Georgia this summer, discussions between NATO and Russia have slowed, but the UK is working to keep open avenues for operational co-operation where that is in NATO's interests.

USA: Military Bases

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether an operational certificate has been issued by the US administration for the space-based infra-red system at RAF Menwith Hill.

John Hutton: RAF Menwith Hill houses a satellite ground terminal which receives data from the space-based infra-red system (SBIRS) satellites to be routed to the US for the purposes of both missile early warning and ballistic missile defence. The use of RAF Menwith Hill as a relay link for the SBIRS has been agreed between the UK and US Governments. As both the satellite system and the ground terminal at RAF Menwith Hill are owned and operated by the US Government, we hold no information on the operational certification for the SBIRS.

War Graves: Educational Visits

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families to discuss increasing opportunities for schoolchildren to visit British war graves.

Kevan Jones: With the study of both world wars embedded in the curricula, many schools now incorporate a visit to war cemeteries as part of their learning activities. Organisations such as the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, The Royal British Legion and the Imperial War Museum have schemes to facilitate visits of this nature, therefore I have no current plans to meet with the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families to discuss this issue.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Discharges

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of emergency patients were discharged within a day in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The available information is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of discharges on same date as admission  Proportion of total discharges (Percentage)  Number of discharges on the next date from admission  Proportion of total discharges (Percentage) 
			 2002-03 671,049 16.79 774,595 19.38 
			 2003-04 770,135 18.08 850,062 19.96 
			 2004-05 929,509 20.65 924,538 20.54 
			 2005-06 1,119,251 23.61 983,669 20.75 
			 2006-07 1,201,320 25.05 1,023,988 21.35 
			  Notes:  Quality of care: Data derived from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) cannot be used in isolation to evaluate the quality of care provided by NHS trusts. There are many factors that can affect the outcome of treatment and it is beyond the scope of HES to adequately record and present all of these.  Ungrossed data: Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Discharges: A discharge episode is the last episode during a hospital stay (a spell), where the patient is discharged from the hospital (this includes transfer to another hospital).  Data Quality: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data is also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Assessing growth through time: HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected by the NHS, there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.  Length of stay (duration of episode)/Length of stay (duration of spell): Length of stay (LOS) is calculated as the difference in days between the admission date and the discharge date, where both are given. LOS is based on hospital spells and only applies to ordinary admissions, i.e. day cases are excluded (unless otherwise stated). Information relating to LOS figures, including discharge method/destination, diagnoses and any operative procedures, is based only on the final episode of the spell. This data is restricted to discharge episodes which had the following types of admission method: 21 = Emergency: via accident and emergency (A&E) services, including the casualty department of the provider 22 = Emergency: via general practitioner (GP) 23 = Emergency: via Bed Bureau, including the Central Bureau 24 = Emergency: via consultant out-patient clinic 28 = Emergency: other means, including patients who arrive via the A&E department of another health care provider.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), the NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Departmental Finance

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish his Department's resource accounts for 2007-08.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department's Resource Accounts for 2007-08 was laid before Parliament on the 9 October 2008, HC 1042.

Departmental Marketing

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on buying advertising space on the Jeremy Kyle show to date in 2008.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 17 October 2008
	In the course of 2008, (up to 30 September), the Department has spent £309,318 buying space within advertising breaks on the Jeremy Kyle Show.
	The following table shows the spend on advertising on the Jeremy Kyle show by campaign.
	
		
			  Campaign  Spend (£) 
			 Anti Smoking 116,951 
			 Child Immunisation 3,503 
			 Social Care 11,157 
			 Tobacco Send Off 102,675 
			 Alcohol Awareness 15,460 
			 Tobacco Motivation 53,299 
			 Tobacco Lead Generation 6,273

Dietary Supplements: EC Law

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what support is being provided by the Food Standards Agency and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency to help the Governments of the Crown Dependencies bring forward measures to meet obligations to comply with European legislation on food supplements and herbal remedies;
	(2)  when Ministers in his Department last discussed with the Governments of the Channel Islands concerns about the import to the United Kingdom of food supplements and herbal remedies marketed using claims which would be illegal where the products to have been placed directly on the United Kingdom market; and what the outcome was of those discussions;
	(3)  how many adjudications have been made by the Advertising Standards Authority in relation to complaints about the making of illegal claims in the marketing of food supplements and herbal remedies from the Channel Islands; what assessment he has made of the such adjudications; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: A meeting was held on 11 April 2008 between officials from the Food Standards Agency, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the Ministry of Justice and representatives of the Crown Dependencies, at which the UK offered support to the Crown Dependencies to assist with the implementation of relevant European legislation on food supplements.
	Separately, the MHRA has provided considerable support to the Government of Guernsey by reviewing Guernsey's proposed medicines law to identify those areas which require additional legislation to implement Directive 2001/83/EC on medicinal products and by providing advice as necessary. The MHRA expects to provide the same review and advice assistance to the other Crown Dependencies as they bring forward their measures to implement the Medicines Directive.
	Health Ministers have not raised these matters directly with Governments of the Channel Islands. The Ministry of Justice provides the official channel of communication between the UK and the Crown Dependencies and in late 2007 and early 2008 separate meetings took place between the Chief Executives of the three Crown Dependencies and the Minister of State for Justice during which these matters were discussed.
	The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is an independent body set up by the advertising industry to police the rules laid down in two advertising codes. These codes are the responsibility of two industry Committees of Advertising Practice—CAP (Broadcast) and CAP (Non-broadcast) and are independently administered by the ASA. As such, the information could only be obtained from the ASA.

Eculizumab

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will assist primary care trusts with the funding of eculizumab; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many primary care trusts in England and Wales are funding the use of eculizumab in the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria;
	(3)  which primary care trusts in England and Wales have refused to fund the use of eculizumab in the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria on the grounds of cost-effectiveness.

Phil Hope: My right hon. Friend the Minister for Public Health made a written ministerial statement on 8 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 16-17WS, setting out the current position for the NHS commissioning of patients with Paroxysmal Nocturnal Haemoglobinuria (PNH). The National Specialised Commissioning team are making good progress with arrangements to ensure that all patients who require the drug Eculizumab before the national commissioning starts on 1 April 2009 will receive it.
	The National Assembly for Wales will look at the position for PNH patients in Wales.

Influenza: Vaccination

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on reducing the age limit to 60 years for free influenza injections; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I can confirm that the Department has received correspondence on this issue and these have and continue to be responded to, but there have been no recent meetings.
	The aim of the influenza immunisation policy is to reduce the serious morbidity and mortality due to influenza by immunising those people most likely to have a severe or complicated illness due to influenza.
	The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) keeps the risk groups recommended influenza vaccination under regular review. This includes the review of risk groups recommended influenza vaccination because of a clinical condition and also the review of the most appropriate age(s) at which to recommend influenza vaccination.

Mental Health Services: Islington

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residents of the London Borough of Islington have received assistance for mental illness in each year since 1998; how many in each year received  (a) GP counselling,  (b) specialist counselling,  (c) residence in specialist hostels and  (d) hospital accommodation; and what estimate he has made of the level of support required in 2008-09.

Phil Hope: Information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the number of finished mental health consultant episodes for patients where the local authority of residence was Islington for each year since 1998 to 2006-07 which is the latest data available.
	
		
			   Finished consultant episodes 
			 1998-99 1,341 
			 1999-2000 1,268 
			 2000-01 1,135 
			 2001-02 1,151 
			 2002-03 1,060 
			 2003-04 1,123 
			 2004-05 1,166 
			 2005-06 982 
			 2006-07 1,239 
			  Notes:  Finished Consultant Episode (FCE): A finished consultant episode (FCE) is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which the FCE finishes. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.  Consultant Main Specialty: This defines the specialty under which the consultant responsible for care of the patient is contracted. Care is needed when analysing HES data by specialty, or by groups of specialties (such as acute). Trusts have different ways of managing specialties and attributing codes so it is better to analyse by specific diagnoses, operations or other recorded information. Consultant main specialties included: 710 = Mental illness 711 = Child and adolescent psychiatry 712 = Forensic psychiatry 713 = Psychotherapy 715 = Old age psychiatry (available from 1990-91).  Data Quality: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data is also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Assessing growth through time: HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected by the NHS, there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), the NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Mentally Ill Staff

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department has gathered on the effect of its policies and practices on the recruitment, development and retention of employees with mental illnesses within  (a) his Department and  (b) the public sector bodies for which he has responsibility; and what use has been made of that information.

Ben Bradshaw: As prescribed by best practice, the Department uses the social model of disability to monitor adverse/positive impact of its policies. This limits the amount of specific evidence that can be drawn about mental health issues through routine employee monitoring exercises. However, the Department gathers relevant information through analysis of sickness absence statistics; reviews of trends emerging from casework; and regular liaison with the staff disability network. This data is used to inform the development of new policies and the review of those in existence. The policies which directly affect the recruitment, development and retention of employees with mental illness are those covering recruitment and selection, training and performance management. All policies are equality impact assessed and build in 'reasonable adjustment' provision for people with disabilities, including mental health issues. There is now a separate mental health policy which promotes positive attitudes in this area and provides guidance which is designed to enable employees to remain in the work-place, wherever possible. These policies and processes apply to the Department's agencies.

Pharmacy: General Practitioners

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP dispensaries there are in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) West Hertfordshire primary care trust.

Phil Hope: Data is only available by primary care trust (PCT) area. The latest available data from the Exeter Payment System shows that West Hertfordshire PCT area had three dispensing general practitioner practices in 2006-07.

Taxis

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was claimed in expenses for taxi travel by officials from  (a) his Department and  (b) its executive agencies in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2005-06, (iii) 2004-05, (iv) 2003-04 and (v) 2002-03; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested regarding claims for expenses for the Department and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	For the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency, costs are only available from 1 April 2004 and are as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004-05 9,920.64 
			 2005-06 13,964.05 
			 2006-07 13,824.40 
		
	
	The Department has a contract for taxis which is paid for centrally. Expenditure has been:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Financial year  DH  MHRA 
			 2006-07 306,252.56 16,125.21 
			 2005-06 420,699.21 4,345.74 
			 2004-05 550,222.13 4,846.75 
			 2003-04 497,661.57 3,466.73 
			 2002-03 344,662.39 1,956.99

Israel

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with Prime Minister Olmert on the release of Palestinian parliamentarians held in Israeli prisons;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with Prime Minister Olmert on  (a) the accession of Israel to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and  (b) proposals for a Middle East nuclear-free zone; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I discussed a wide range of issues with Prime Minister Olmert on my recent visit to Israel. In addition, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) on 23 October 2008,  Official Report, column 555W.

Olympic Games

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Prime Minister how many  (a) Ministers,  (b) opposition politicians and  (c) members of the (i) London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, (ii) Olympic Delivery Authority and (iii) British Olympic Authority boards were invited to the reception for Team GB at 10 Downing Street following the Beijing Olympics.

Gordon Brown: I hosted a reception for Team GB at Lancaster House. Guests were invited from a range of political and sporting fields including those involved in the preparations for London 2012.

Humanitarian Aid

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 991-92W, on humanitarian aid, what measures are in place to ensure his Department adheres to the 23 principles of good humanitarian donorship in  (a) Bangladesh,  (b) Nigeria and  (c) Sierra Leone.

Michael Foster: The principles of Good Humanitarian Donorship (GHD) are a central pillar of the Department for International Development's (DFID) Humanitarian Policy. Guidelines such as DFID's Humanitarian Funding Guidelines for NGOs also ensure that the GHD principles inform our funding decisions.
	In Bangladesh, DFID is actively involved in:
	(a) disaster preparedness and management (GHD principle 8);
	(b) funding of relief operations as needed, channelling through UN nationally and NGOs (guided by DFID's humanitarian policy); and
	(c) early recovery and assessments on reconstruction/rehabilitation (GHD principle 9).
	In Nigeria and Sierra Leone, DFID does not currently provide humanitarian aid. In both cases DFID, through its development programme, works closely with partners including the UN, other donors and partner governments to reduce the risk of disaster, to prevent the re-emergence of conflict, and to foster a greater adherence to all aid effectiveness principles.

Mentally Ill Staff

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions his Department has had with other Government Departments on the steps it is taking, including through its Mental Health Communication Strategy, to combat stigma against and provide support for its employees with mental illnesses.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) is part of the Business Wellbeing Network which liaises with other Government Departments and the private sector to ensure an inclusive and cohesive approach to provide support and combat stigma for its employees with mental illness. This network takes a strategic, integrated approach to the management of well-being at work in order to reap the proven benefits associated with a healthy and engaged work force.
	DFID's Mental Health Communication Strategy culminated in the launch of a Better Balance campaign in July 2007. The campaign focused on work place pressure, health and well-being, lifestyle and any significant influences that may impact on physical or mental health of staff and their ability to remain effective at work.

Victims of Crime: Female Prostitutes

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to prevent female prostitutes from becoming victims of crime.

Alan Campbell: Prostitution is inherently dangerous, and the most effective way to prevent those involved from becoming victims of crime, is to help them to leave prostitution.
	Our prostitution strategy provides a framework for local areas to develop their own strategies, including the provision of tailored support for those involved in prostitution.

Antisocial Behaviour

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what steps she is taking to ensure that the police, local authorities and other interested agencies work together to address anti-social behaviour;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the use of the powers available to address anti-social behaviour;
	(3)  what future steps the Government plan to take to prevent anti-social behaviour.

Alan Campbell: No one should have to put up with antisocial behaviour. I want communities to know that the Government are firmly on their side and are turning the tables on those who persistently make others' lives a misery.
	We have put in place powerful tools to tackle antisocial behaviour. Three independent reports including the Home Affairs Select Committee report (2005), the Audit Commission report (May 2006) and the NAO report (December 2006) have confirmed that they work. Indeed the NAO reported that 65 per cent. of people stop committing antisocial behaviour after intervention one rising to 93 per cent. after intervention three. Latest figures available show that local agencies across the country used these tools and powers available to tackle antisocial behaviour more than 16,000 times between April and June 2008.
	Peoples' fear of antisocial behaviour has fallen. The British Crime Survey shows a reduction in the proportion of people with a high level of perceived antisocial behaviour from 21 per cent. in 2002-03 to 16 per cent. in 2007-08.
	Successful delivery of any local antisocial behaviour strategy depends on effective partnership working through Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships. To assist this work, the Home Office has renewed the funding for antisocial behaviour co-ordinators for the period 2008-11 and created powerful tools to tackle disorder, including the new power to close premises where there is persistent antisocial behaviour. This new power will commence on 1 December and the statutory guidance sets out the obligations on the police and local authorities to consult each other and the advisability of consulting others. We have also launched the new antisocial behaviour squad to help local agencies make best use of the full range of tools and powers to tackle perpetrators who persist in antisocial behaviour. Furthermore we are consulting the public on antisocial behaviour on public transport.

Passports: Northern Ireland

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports were issued to residents of Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years, broken down by  (a) constituency,  (b) district council area and  (c) primary postcode.

Meg Hillier: As we do not hold the volume of passports issued broken down in the form requested, we are unable to provide this data.

Women: Violence

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent assessment she has made of the  (a) nature and  (b) extent of violence against women; and if she will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: In July the Minister for Women and Equality published "Women's Changing Lives: Priorities for the Ministers for Women One Year On Progress Report". In this report the Government assess the nature and extent of violence against women at length, and details the significant progress made by Government on tackling violence against women and the other priorities for the Ministers for Women.
	More recently the Home office, with the support of my Department, announced that they are undertaking a scoping project to audit current activity to tackle violence against women, identify gaps in delivery and look for opportunities to join up more strategically at a national and local level.
	"Women's Changing Lives" and the earlier report, "Tackling Violence Against Women: a Cross-Government Narrative", are both available in the Libraries of both Houses.

Higher Education: Research

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what criteria are used to take decisions on allocation of quality related research funding.

David Lammy: Within England, quality related research funding (QR) is allocated and distributed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The overall criterion for HEFCE QR funding is to fund excellent research wherever it is found. There are a number of components to QR funding as set out in the following table:
	
		
			  The components of quality-related research funding 
			   £  million 
			 Mainstream QR allocated to reflect the quality and volume of research at institutions in different subjects 919.8 
			 Research degree programme supervision fund 199.0 
			 Charity support element 184.9 
			 Business research element 61.7 
			 London weighting 28.7 
			 "Best 5" allocation 24.5 
			 Supplementary funding to maintain QR in real terms 11.9 
			 Special funding for research libraries 5.9 
		
	
	The criteria for mainstream QR are quality (as determined by research assessment exercises—RAE), volume, and subject cost weighting. There are three subject cost-weightings: high cost laboratory and clinical subjects, intermediate cost subjects and other.
	HEFCE measure the volume of research in each unit of assessment using three separate components. These volume components apply for departments rated four or above in the RAE and are weighted as follows:
	research-active academic staff—1 x number of FTE research-active academic staff funded from general funds (including NHS funding for nursing and other subjects allied to medicine) and selected for assessment in the RAE
	research assistants—0.067 x number of FTE research assistants
	research fellows—0.06 x number of FTE research fellows.
	More detailed information on allocation of funding is set out in HEFCE publication 2007/20 "Funding higher education in England: How HEFCE allocates its funds", available on the HEFCE website:
	http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2007/07_20/

Housing Benefit

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much in housing benefit has been paid to tenants of  (a) housing associations and  (b) local authorities, including arm's length management organisations, since 1997; and what estimate he has made of the effect on housing benefit costs of tenants transferring from council management to registered social landlords as part of stock transfers in each of those years.

Kitty Ussher: I refer my hon. Friend, to the written answer given on 14 May 2008,  Official Report, column 613W.

Pupil Exclusions: Autism

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children with autism spectrum disorders were subject to  (a) permanent exclusion and  (b) fixed-term exclusion from school in the academic year 2006-07.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information is only available on the primary special educational need for pupils who are classified as being at School Action Plus or with a statement of special educational needs. This information is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Primary, secondary and special schools( 1, 2, 3)  exclusions where pupils primary SEN need is autistic spectrum disorder( 4)  2006/07 
			   Primary schools( 1)  State funded secondary schools( 1, 2)  Special schools( 3) 
			   Number of exclusions  Percentage of the school population( 5)  Number of exclusions  Percentage of the school population( 5)  Number of exclusions  Percentage of the school population( 5) 
			 Permanent exclusions 20 0.12 10 0.08 10 0.08 
			
			  Fixed period exclusions   
			 Number of fixed period exclusions 900 — 2,060 — 390 — 
			 Number of pupils with at least one episode of fixed period exclusion 430 2.27 1,100 9.27 200 1.58 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2 )Includes both CTCs and academies. (3 )Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. (4 )Data for primary SEN need is collected for pupils with a statement of special educational needs or who are classified as being school action plus only. Data here has been taken from the National Pupil Database. (5 )The number of permanent exclusions or pupils with at least one fixed period exclusion by primary need expressed as a percentage of the school population with that primary need.  Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  School Census

Pupil Exclusions: Special Educational Needs

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans his Department has to collect data on the types of special educational needs of pupils who have been excluded.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: My Department already collects data via the annual Pupil Level School Census on exclusions, and on the primary special educational need (SEN) for pupils who are classified as being at School Action Plus or with a statement of SEN.
	It is possible for my officials to draw on this data and cross analyse primary SEN against exclusion, as I asked them to do in the case of the hon. Member's question (number 230230) of 23 October 2008.
	Following the SEN (Information) Act 2008, my Department is considering collecting information on the primary SEN type for children at School Action, in addition to School Action Plus and for pupils with statements of SEN.
	Pupil referral units (PRUs) do not make pupil level returns, but a PRU level return is made in January of each year. This does not include information on exclusions nor the primary SEN need of pupils, therefore this data is not available for PRUs. My Department is investigating options for the collection of pupil level data for PRUs.

Overseas Visitors

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many visits from overseas to  (a) the UK and  (b) England there were in each year since 1997; and what percentage of the world market for tourism each figure represents.

Barbara Follett: VisitBritain is the Government-sponsored tourism body responsible for promoting Britain as a tourist destination to overseas markets, and England as a tourist destination to the domestic market. VisitBritain have provided the following information:
	
		
			  Visits to the UK since 1997 and percentage of global market share 
			   Number of visits (million)  Global market share (percentage) 
			 1997 25.515 3.92 
			 1998 25.745 3.88 
			 1999 25.394 3.68 
			 2000 25.209 3.41 
			 2001 22.835 3.08 
			 2002 24.180 3.18 
			 2003 24.715 3.30 
			 2004 27.755 3.37 
			 2005 29.971 3.49 
			 2006 32.713 3.62 
			 2007 32.778 3.40 
			  Source:  International Passenger Survey (ONS). 
		
	
	
		
			  Visits to England since 1997 and percentage of global market share 
			   Number of visits (million)  Global market share (percentage) 
			 1997 19.5 3.30 
			 1998 20.2 3.30 
			 1999 19.8 3.12 
			 2000 19.8 2.91 
			 2001 17.8 2.61 
			 2002 19.0 2.71 
			 2003 19.5 2.82 
			 2004 21.9 2.87 
			 2005 23.7 2.95 
			 2006 25.9 3.06 
			 2007 26.2 2.88 
			  Source:  International Passenger Survey (ONS).

Overseas Visitors

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much visitors from overseas to  (a) the UK and  (b) England spent in each year since 1997; and what percentage of global tourism spending each figure represents.

Barbara Follett: VisitBritain is the Government-sponsored tourism body responsible for promoting Britain as a tourist destination to overseas markets, and England as a tourist destination to the domestic market. VisitBritain have provided the following information:
	
		
			  Spend in the UK since 1997 
			   Overall visitor spend (£ billion)  Global market share (Percentage) 
			 1997 12.244 4.53 
			 1998 12.671 4.72 
			 1999 12.498 4.42 
			 2000 12.805 4.08 
			 2001 11.306 3.51 
			 2002 11.737 3.66 
			 2003 11.855 3.66 
			 2004 13.047 3.78 
			 2005 14.248 3.81 
			 2006 16.002 3.97 
			 2007 15.196 3.72 
			  Source:  International Passenger Survey (ONS) 
		
	
	
		
			  Spend in England since 1997 
			   Overall visitor spend (£ million)  Global market share 
			 1997 13,917 3.24 
			 1998 13,890 3.45 
			 1999 12,410 3.32 
			 2000 11,442 3.31 
			 2001 10,515 3.25 
			 2002 10,422 3.25 
			 2003 10,051 3.12 
			 2004 11,473 3.66 
			 2005 11,148 3.94 
			 2006 11,315 4.21 
			 2007 10,885 4.03 
			  Source:  International Passenger Survey (ONS)

Sex Establishments: Licensing

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations the Government has received on changes to licensing laws associated with lap dancing establishments.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 21 October 2008
	 My Department has received a number of general inquiries from hon. Members, local authorities, interest groups and members of the public on the subject of lap dancing. I wrote to chief executives of local authorities on 18 June 2008 to clarify the powers available under the Licensing Act 2003 and to seek their views on whether these, and other controls, are sufficient to respond to the concerns of local people. This attracted 117 responses, the majority of which felt that additional legislation should be introduced to provide controls which are specific to lap dancing and similar premises.
	The Home Secretary, who leads on this issue because of her wider responsibilities for public indecency, sexual exploitation and prostitution announced in September that the Government would seek to amend existing legislation to give communities and local authorities greater powers to control the opening and regulation of lap-dancing clubs.
	A separate Home Office consultation on Government proposals in relation to control of the sex industry, including the regulation of lap-dancing clubs, closed on 8 October 2008 and received 67 responses. These came from a variety of organisations from the third sector, local authorities and the industry.

Nuclear Power: Safety

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the oral response to the hon. Member for St. Albans of 30 June 2008,  Official Report, column 628W, what consideration the Government has given to risks other than those of safety in planning of nuclear expansion.

Mike O'Brien: The Government committed to an extensive public consultation last year on the future of nuclear power. The consultation document 'Future of Nuclear Power' which we published in May last year and the Nuclear White Paper published in January set out in detail how the Government had carefully considered the issues in relation to nuclear energy.
	In addition to the safety issue, these documents explain how we have considered matters related to: economics, security, health, non-proliferation, transport, waste and decommissioning, ethics, the environment, supply of nuclear fuel, supply chain and skills capacity and reprocessing.

Departmental Pay

David Simpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many non-pensionable bonuses were awarded to members of staff in his Department in the last 12 months; and at what total cost.

Patrick McFadden: The Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform awards non-consolidated bonuses in two formats:
	1. Special bonuses to recognise performance in particularly demanding tasks or situations. Staff in receipt of a special bonus may also receive an annual performance award.
	2. Annual performance awards paid to highly successful performers as part of the annual pay award.
	Based on the information available, the number of staff receiving these awards and total amount of bonuses for which this information can be provided is in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial year( 1)  Special bonus  Performance awards 
			   Number of staff receiving  Total  value (£)  Number of staff receiving  Total  value (£) 
			 2008-09 (2)— (2)— 1,033 (3)2,240,592 
			 2007-08(4) 1,238 693,386 1,065 (5)2,265,502 
			 (1) Financial year running from 1 April to 31 March.  (2) 2008-09 special bonus figures are not yet available.  (3 )Includes staff who were transferred from BERR to DECC as part of the October 2008 Machinery of Government changes as these staff received a BERR pay award in 2008.  (4) In 2007-8 the total value of bonuses paid was approximately 1.5 per cent of the total Department's paybill.  (5) Includes staff who were transferred from DTI to DIUS as part of the June 2007 Machinery of Government Changes as these staff received a DTI/BERR pay award in 2007. Does not include those staff transferred into BERR from Cabinet Office and the Department for Communities and Local Government as part of the June 2007 Machinery of Government Changes as these staff received Cabinet Office and DCLG pay awards respectively in 2007.   Note:   The special bonuses and performance awards for non-SCS staff are paid on a non-consolidated, non-pensionable basis and do not increase the Department's paybill costs each year. For the SCS the Senior Salaries Review Body determines the level of expenditure to cover bonuses.